Comparisons
by Rat
Summary: Set during Ripple Effect. An alternate team has a chat with Daniel


Title: Comparisons  
Author: Maimat the Rat  
Category: Episode tag  
Pairing: none  
Rating: G  
Status: Complete  
Series: Nope  
Season/Spoilers: Season 9, Ripple Effect, and mentions of Meridian, Fallen  
Synopsis: An alternate team has a chat with Daniel  
Feedback: Welcome

It felt weird. Daniel sat in the commissary drinking tar-like coffee and tried not to be aware of the alternate team sitting at the table across the room watching him. The four members consisted of Samantha, Jack, Teal'c, and Jonas.

He accidentally caught Jack's eye and offered a small grin of greeting that subsequently made Jack look ill. Teal'c stood up, walked over, and took a seat.

"It is good to see you well Daniel Jackson."

"Thanks, you too."

The fact he answered seemed to signal the rest of them to come over and join his table. All except for Jonas, who remained seated alone, staring down at the table.

"So." Jack looked around the commissary. "I see this place looks as drab as ever." The tone sounded light, but Daniel couldn't shake the feeling that they were all waiting for him to do something.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Daniel asked.

"There is." Teal'c answered, but did not elaborate.

"We could talk in my office?" Daniel offered in order to break the uneasy silence.

The three of them stood up as one, and Daniel followed suit moments later.

"What about Jonas?"

Jack glanced back at the fourth member of his team sitting alone across the room. "You know him?"

Daniel nodded.

"This is for us." Samantha smiled and gently touched Daniel's arm.

Daniel led the way.

"It's different." Jack walked inside and surveyed the room. Carter closed the door behind them, and watched Daniel perch on the end of his desk.

"What were you expecting?"

"We did not know what to expect." Teal'c replied as he studied the shelves and artefacts, finally settling his attention on a wooden burial statue.

"Did you meet the gamekeeper?" Jack asked while running a finger along the spines of journals in the shelf. His finger came to rest where Jonas had added journals, counted them carefully, and then kept going.

Daniel nodded. "Barrel of laughs."

"Ever been to Kelowna?"

"Yes."

They shared a look amongst themselves, and then Jack cleared his throat. "I need to know what's different. Or if there's still something we could do…"

"About Kelowna?" Daniel asked.

"You've been there." Jack stated. "You know Jonas. This is where things probably change. There was a reactor explosion, or there would have been if you hadn't have stopped it."

"Sounds the same."

Jack closed his eyes. "You were injured, badly."

Daniel nodded. "I know."

Samantha squinted a second while trying to blend that information with the seemingly healthy man sitting in front of her. "You were dying from radiation poisoning."

"DanielJackson." Teal'c stepped forward. "If you experienced these same events, we would like to know how it is you recovered, so that we may help the DanielJackson of our reality."

"Obviously, you're here." Jack pressed his hand against the journals on the shelf. "How… what did we do?"

Daniel stared at funeral statue Teal'c held. "I can't give you the answers you want. Maybe one of the other Daniels can help you?"

"The DanielJackson you refer to would not answer our question. He replied that we should leave our friend as he is and that the cure was worse than the disease. It is my understanding that he was healed by sarcophagus, leaving him physically healed but less than what he was." Teal'c studied Daniel carefully. "I have no reason to believe that your spirit has been corrupted by Goa'uld technology."

Biting her lip, Samantha stepped forward and took his hand, studying the perfect skin under her fingers. "You have no scars. Our Daniel has scars. The hand device couldn't heal you completely, but you still work with us as a consultant."

"It's not me Sam." Daniel stepped away from her and moved to put his desk between himself and the alternate team. Daniel cleared his throat. "What happened after Jacob healed your Daniel."

Jack paced impatiently. "He's trapped in a wheel chair, scarred with radiation burns, and suffering from chronic pain. How did we save you?"

"Have you heard of Oma Desala, did you ever go to Kheb?"

"Where we found Shi'fu, yes. We were able to get her to help you?" Jack asked.

"Not exactly. She came to me. You know what she is?"

"An Ancient." Samantha answered

Daniel wasn't sure how to continue. "I died. There was no sarcophagus. Jacob was healing me, but I asked you to stop him. Oma helped me ascend."

"And you gave up? Just like that?" Jack asked incredulously.

"No. I thought I could do more."

"So, are you still dead?" Jack asked.

"We know the Ancients are able to take human form." Samantha came around the desk to stand next to Daniel, she touched his arm. "Is that what you did?"

"I'm not ascended anymore. I'm just... me." He looked at them, saw they still didn't understand, and he didn't care to do any more explaining. "It's a long story."

Samantha raised a frustrated hand up to wipe her eyes. "What about Sha're?"

Daniel felt his heart skip a beat. "What about Sha're? She's alive?" Daniel asked.

Jack nodded.

"And Abydos?"

"What about it?"

"It's still there?" Daniel asked.

Jack, Teal'c, and Samantha looked confused.

"And Anubis?"

"He was destroyed in the battle against the Replicators, along with most of the other system lords."

"You beat the Replicators?"

"Well, yeah. Didn't you?"

"We did. Yes." Daniel stared at the floor for a long ten seconds before looking up again. He knew this was a question he shouldn't be asking, but he needed the answer nonetheless. "Sha're is alive. How?"

Teal'c spoke. "The Goa'uld Ammonet was incapacitated with a Zatnikitel, and the Tok'ra removed the symbiot."

That was it then. "My Sha're died with Ammonet six years ago." It took a few minutes before Daniel could find his voice again. "Am I... is you're Daniel Jackson still with Shar're? Are they happy?"

"I believe they are content." Teal'c answered.

"There isn't anything here that is better or more right. I can't help you."

"We apologize for disturbing you DanielJackson. I wish you peace." Teal'c bowed his head and walked out the door, reluctantly followed by Samantha and Jack.

"Jack?"

Jack stopped in the doorway and looked back. "Yes?"

"I chose to ascend because I thought I could do more. I didn't. I couldn't. Tell him that it's not about what we do, it's about the strength with which we face our challenges."

"You sure you're not still glowy?"

"Not me. Oma. I didn't understand what she meant then, but I think I'm beginning to now."

Jack looked about to say something more, but instead nodded and left Daniel alone with his thoughts.

the end


End file.
